Hands-on with new Timex One GPS+, a 3G connected watch requiring no phone

Today at Outdoor Retailer Timex has announced a slew of new products into the fitness and outdoor market. The four new products range from $99 to $399, and cover everything from basic GPS functionality to a high-end integrated live tracking running watch with music capabilities.

For this post I’m going to focus on the Timex One GPS+ unit, which is their new flagship GPS running watch. Later today I’ll circle back with more detail on the other three fitness devices (updated: available here), which include an activity tracker, a basic GPS running watch, and a smartphone connected running watch complete with push notifications.

I’ve had good hands-on time with all four of them, so let’s start for now by diving into the Timex One GPS+.

Overview of key features

Without question this is Timex’s most advanced running watch to date. It breaks through new areas not offered on any previous GPS running watch – Timex or otherwise. At a glance, here’s the significant new features:

As you can see, there’s a huge emphasis on the connected side. But more than just connectivity – connectivity straight to the internet, without the need for a phone on your person.

To enable this Timex has partnered with AT&T and Qualcomm, where AT&T has lit up much of the connectivity based scenarios. This is somewhat unique in the sports tech world as most sports tech companies tend to ‘go it alone’ when it comes to product development, rarely (actually, never) interfacing with telecom partners in a true partnership. Proof of that was evident as the head of AT&T’s mobility division was actually in the booth when I visited.

3G Connectivity – Livetracking & Safety Alerts:

On the unit itself you can see the continual 3G connectivity icon displayed at the top – just like your cell phone. Though, just like your cell phone you can also put it into airplane mode should situation warrant.

Despite the AT&T partnership the unit will work overseas just fine, via service provider roaming partnerships. Such roaming costs the consumer no additional money, as it’s all handled behind the scenes by AT&T. For the first year the connected services will be free – though after that there will be some form of monthly charge via the telecom company. The exact pricing isn’t determined quite yet, but will fall in line with adding a second device to an AT&T plan.

Note that initially the unit will only be offered for sale within the US & Canada. Or, more specifically, only to those with a US/Canadian address for purchase. Timex is working to quickly make it available internationally though that does require more hurdles from a regulatory standpoint due to the 3G connectivity.

The core features that are enabled via the 3G connectivity are live tracking and SOS alerts. Live tracking works by you first defining contacts to share your position with. These are configured within the Timex phone app (iOS/Android), which serves to configure the majority of the settings on the device.

Once you’ve started a session your predefined contacts will automatically receive tracking information and a map where they can watch your positioning. This live tracking will also include sensor data from a Bluetooth Smart heart rate strap if being worn. The update rate online is every 60-seconds, though it’ll backfill all the data over the past 60-seconds to the online site.

In addition to live tracking the unit also can send out SOS alerts. These alerts can be triggered in the event of some sort of issue. For example if you run off the edge of a cliff while trail running, or simply can’t find an ice cream stand – both critical issues warranting immediate phone a friend support.

The SOS alerts can be customized ahead of time as well, so you could have defaults such as “Fell off cliff, bring rope or helicopter!” to “Bring me ice cream, stat!”, and then sent to your contacts along with your location information. This information is relayed via both a smartphone app that the contacts (aka ‘Angels’) can install which pops up a smartphone notification, alternatively they can be concurrently sent just via e-mail. While it doesn’t send text messages, almost all mobile providers offer the option to have an e-mail address that sends you a text message – so it’s easy to configure that too by yourself.

The SOS functionality is similar to what Bia Sports has done with their unit, though just taking it to a new level with more customization and more flexibility.

Building on the connectivity scenario the unit supports the ability to receive e-mails through a specific unique external e-mail address. When a message comes into this address the watch will allow you to respond via a small instant messaging application. So think of it more like text messages than true long-form e-mails. Meaning, you wouldn’t get photos from something like your weekly Victoria’s Secret e-mail. Rather, it’s for short-form communications.

You can respond via a small keyboard that also allows for templatized responses – such as ‘Leave me alone, I’m running!’.

Messages can also be sent to your contacts, which are sync’d from your phone:

Note that the unit isn’t integrated like a typical smartwatch however, meaning, it won’t get text notifications or the like from your phone directly. So while there is some integration at the phone to device level, it’s mostly for configuration rather than continual communications. The communications are really meant more to transit 3G instead.

Music Playback:

Building on the new functionality front is the inclusion of 4GB of music storage. This music can be loaded via USB from your computer, where the device will enumerate as a standard USB mass storage device:

From there you can playback music and see album covers and song information. This music playback occurs via Bluetooth, to devices such as wireless Bluetooth headphones or other Bluetooth music playback units (such as a Jawbone speaker).

Core Running Functionality:

Of course, at the core of the unit is the running capabilities. Ultimately, it’s a GPS running watch. The unit can be customized for a few different modes including a free running mode as well as goal-based modes – such as running a specific distance.

Further, you can also do full interval workouts, including defining all stages of a proper interval workout.

And you can also setup alerts for areas such as pace and heart rate:

While running, you can pair to a Bluetooth Smart heart rate strap. The unit doesn’t contain ANT+ sensor compatibility at this point.

Like past Timex units, the device also supports features such as auto lap and the ability to configure data pages.

You can configure three data pages, each with 1-4 data metrics per page (of your choosing):

Additionally, you can choose to invert the screen should you want white on black instead of black on white.

When you complete a run it’ll automatically upload the workout to a Timex cloud platform:

From there it can be configured to automatically be pushed to major platforms including MapMyRun, Strava, and Runkeeper. They do have a business partnership API into the Timex platform, though they’re also working with other companies to establish partnerships as well. They expect more partners than just those three at launch.

Today the unit is focused on running, though down the road via firmware updates (which occur over the air via 3G) they expect to add some form of cycling support. That could potentially open the door further to some form of multisport mode, but that’d be a longer ways off. Of course with 8 hours of active GPS battery life it’d be tough to complete a full Ironman with the unit, so it’d likely be targeted at those wanting to complete shorter events.

Speaking of which, today Ironman (as well as USAT) do indeed ban communication devices during a race. But Timex seemed confident they’ll be able to work out the rules issues there, especially since Ironman (well, WTC) has been very involved with the development of the product from the very inception and bringing together the key parternships, including AT&T.

Lastly, the watch also works as a normal day to day watch, getting approximately 3 days with GPS off but 3G enabled. You can also go into airplane mode and get even longer, though Timex hasn’t finalized testing there – though expect it to be significantly more than the 3 days with 3G enabled. You can configure watch faces as well as alarms directly on the unit.

Initial Thoughts:

Overall, I’m really impressed with the functionality contained and promised in the unit. The core areas I’ll be looking at down the road in an in-depth review will be the final responsiveness of the touchscreen and usability in adverse conditions (such as rain, but also at the end of a hard track workout set) – as well as how well the connected features like live tracking work. While the unit is definitely a bit larger than most running watches on the market (slightly smaller than their Timex Global Trainer GPS), it is 50m waterproofed.

The ability to simply have your runs immediately on sites like Strava without any additional phone required is great, but the live tracking could be a ground breaker in areas where folks don’t want to drag a phone with them. For cyclists having a phone has never been a huge issue, but for many runners taking a phone with them has always been a bit of a pain (while no doubt for others, taking a phone along is completely normal).

Lastly, the unit will be available around the end of October for $399US (or $449 with a HR strap), and will be available both via traditional sports/retail stores as well as the AT&T stores. As usual, expect a full in-depth review from me once the final hardware and software is ready, likely within a week or so of the retail availability.

Update: Clever Training now has the One GPS+ available for pre-order (as well as the three other watches they released). I’ve just recently added all four products into the product comparison database as well. And here’s all the pre-order links that help support the site.

As usual, note that Clever Training is typically conservative in their estimations of product arrivals (read: realistic) – mostly because most watch companies are overly optimistic in their product release estimates. So it sorta balances out.

Feel free to drop any questions below though in the comments. Thanks for reading!

130 Comments

So does that mean one would eventually need a cell phone plan for the use of the watch with 3G service? I know you said the first year is tentatively free but after that, would need to be added to a plan. We don't have cells, which is why I ask.

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Is the garmin 910 still the gold standard for swim/run/bike watches? I have been waiting for the Ambit3 to come out but I just don't know what to do at this point. Also, in the next few months it seems like a lot of bluetooth/waterproof smart watches will be released that will have apps that can track swimming.

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Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but do you see all future watches not having ANT+ pairing capabilities? I just got a ANT+ power meter last winter and I'd really hate for it to become obsolete with my next watch purchase. thanks and keep up the great work.

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I think companies are examining this very closely. I personally think from a technical perspective, Ant+ is better, but if I were a company, I'd go BTLE because it's a way to draw in the smartphone crowd, who, while possibly less 'serious' athletes, constitute a significantly larger market. I'm irritated with Suunto about dropping Ant+ for BTLE, but to be sure, they likely realized jumping ship now was a better move than jumping ship three years from now. They likely did a lot of market trend analysis to end up there. Small pain now vs. larger pain later.

I wouldn't worry about your power meter purchase just yet though; I think you've got several years of solid companies offering solid Ant+ products, and I'm sure there'll be a niche of Ant+->BTLE converters out there to address this trend anyway. I wouldn't sweat it if I were you.

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To add to KenZ's insightful post - I think ANT+ will go the way of the dodo only when Garmin goes belly up. ANT+ support being offered on other manufacturer's products, however, is an additional cost if you're going to have BT anyway, in terms of hardware, software and licensing. So it will depend on how well Garmin will play their cards IMO.

It would be funny if, down the road, Garmin were the last company to offer support for ANT+ (in addition to BT)

Regardless, I'm just hoping the smartphone craze will start losing steam at some point, because the end trajectory is not being able to flush your toilet if your battery runs out.

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I'm just hoping the smartphone craze will start losing steam at some point

The smartphone "craze" is only in it's infancy. I'm sorry to say you've got another 20+ years of this tech to live through. I don't think it will replace a mechanical toilet flushing lever anytime soon

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I called Timex to ask. it is just a running watch, not a multi sport watch, what are you thoughts on that ? All these features do me no good, if I still need another piece of kit, when on my bike for cadence and power.

Look forward to your update.
Thanks
John Z

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Live tracking without a phone totally trumps the connectivity Garmin has been adding. But I sure hope the connection charges after the first year are well below that of the charge for an iPad. The amount of data being transferred is pretty minuscule. I'm not likely to be willing to pay $10+ a month for this.

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I think I would pay $10 a month to have my family know where I am on every bike ride and run. That's a great safety feature. And I've found that my wife let's me ride longer because she's less worried. That's totally worth the money.

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But then you have to carry your phone around. The whole point here is that you don't need to have your bulky phone. This option is way more interesting. But it would be highway robbery if they try to charge the same as a connected tablet for a device that uses such a small amount of bandwidth.

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" But it would be highway robbery if they try to charge the same as a connected tablet for a device that uses such a small amount of bandwidth."

That's not a fair comparison. Connected tablets usually are added to existing data plans, so you're paying $10 for the right to split up a pie you already bought. The fee for connecting this watch is a standalone (with no global roaming charges at all!). You also won't need to be an AT&T customer.

Anyway, I read that the annual fee will be $40. It's a pretty small amount of data, overall.

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The questions I have revolve around "will it be a brick if I say screw you AT&T after year 1", or can I continue to use it via wifi ?
The chances of me paying AT&T for my running watch, or signing up for any kind of contract, are between zero and negative infinity unless we are talking $50/yr or less, and without me already having an AT&T cell plan either.

But if I can use it without paying AT&T, then this watch is basically represents what the Motorola Active should have been - a GPS watch plus bluetooth mp3 player with better battery life and waterproofing.

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The usual suspect sites - verge, engadget etal - have written this product off already. Honestly, comparing theirs to Rays is like comparing chalk to cheese; so Ray, thank you for your fair and balanced reviews!

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I'd love to see more of a usability focus. From the shots (please correct me if my impression is wrong) they've started over and tried to add running into a mobile-device optimized experience, rather than simply adding live-updating to a run-optimized experience. I don't need smooth scrolling that results in partial rows showing FFS!

I do love the 3G idea, but so far my dream device would remain:
- 910XT
- Better swim positioning when worn on the wrist
- Live updating to GarminConnect over 3G with a sync to TP after completion
- Automatic "dumb watch" mode at 5% battery left to extend another few hours
- "Race mode" instead of "Auto Multisport" that understood things like disabling auto-pause
- No extra features

That's it. No music, no color, no texting... I've got a phone for all that. Just a great running / multisport watch please.

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I do agree with your comment about the battery. Ironman branding with an 8 hour battery life is hugely disappointing. Honestly, that's the ONLY thing holding me back from pre-ordering right now. As it stands, I'll wait to see if Garmin can improve that with their next multi-sport watch.

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Well yeah, if you want to get technical, they do lose signal as your hand goes underwater, but the 3 I listed will track distance in water using GPS. They're just using an algorithm to fix the data as it gains & loses signal.

It's just silly that there are GPS watches branded as multisport that will not track distance in open water... unless you put them in a swim cap.

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My 620 does a fine job of tracking me while I swim.
It doesn't give me swim metrics (SWOLF etc) because it gets confused and thinks it is running (I keep it in running mode), but it tracks distance and time just fine for my open water swims.

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Really?
It has worked perfectly for me every swim I've had. I actually initially thought it would be horrible and had my wife and her FR15 ride in a boat next to me while I swam. Almost identical distance...

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LOVE the G3 functionality - overall this watch has exactly the feature set I'd want in a smartwatch for running and social use cases where having a phone would be impractical or inappropriate. The looks and screen size, not so much. But i really, really, hope this feature set catches on so I'm not the only one who wants this mix.

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Great new features. However could they not have designed a better looking watch. I know that fitness watches serve a practical purpose. But Timex could benefit from working on the overall aesthetics of their products.

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I think the others have hit the nail on the head. For runners this product looks exciting. The thought of heading out with just this, a bluetooth smart HRM like Scosche Rhythm+ and some wireless bluetooth earphones is very very appealing. However the Motoactv and Adidas were also very appealing until they each had their own issues, mainly battery life. Let's hope Timex have managed to overcome that.

Fingers crossed for 5 to 6 hours battery with live tracking and music on.

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Timex has long been an Ironman partner, and if you look at the vast majority of Timex products spanning well before any of their current GPS products they were all branded Ironman. It's essentially just a marketing partnership, but doesn't really imply that you need to use it for swim/bike/run.

After all, there's been Ironman perfumes and everything else...

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Very interesting development regarding technology, but how do Timex and Ironman see this watch being used during Ironman events?

The Ironman safety regulations state the following:§ 2 Safety Regulations
4. It is forbidden to carry equipment, which can in any way be described as "communication or entertainment media" (Mobile phone, iPod, MP3 player, camera, video-camera, etc.). It is not decisive if the athlete actually utilizes these objects or not. If an athlete violates this rule, the athlete will be disqualified by the competition jury. An immediate disqualification by a referee on the official race course, upon determination of the violation, is possible.

A similar issue comes to mind about coaching:§ 9 Coaching
1. Coaching is defined as support of the athlete during the race by vocal instructions and cheering. Coaching is generally allowed with the following limitations.
- Electric or other amplifying devices are not permitted.
- All forms of coaching, where the coach moves with or past the athlete (with vehicles, bike, inline skates, running, etc.) are not permitted. This includes following behind the athlete per vehicle or foot.
2. Coaching is only allowed from the side of the course, the coach is not permitted to be on the official race course or move with the athlete.

The border between watch, iPod/MP3 player and mobile phone (instant messaging) is removed in this watch. It is possible to listen to music as well as to receive instant messaging with feedback from a coach. While it is possible to not use these features during the event, it is not possible to check upon the athletes (especially the messaging part). Hence, will this watch be banned from Ironman events?

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It will be interesting to see how this will work out in practice though and how "Timex will work out the rule issue". If the music portion will not be permitted, a rule change will be required since "It is forbidden to carry equipment [...] It is not decisive if the athlete actually utilizes these objects or not."

From the Ironman tweet it would then appear that the messaging part might become permitted. Perhaps this device will trigger the birth of a new allowed way of coaching/supporting during events.

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Would be great to see such device with optical heart rate monitor and some sort of activity tracker. It is rather strange that companies do not want to capture huge market by having all the features in one device so that one could get music player, smart watch for notifications and activity tracker all in the same package - more expensive to purchase at once, but cheaper than having 3 devices.

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Do Timex use the same GPS processor as in the Timex Run Trainer 2.0? Signal reception can take some time in the old model, surely longer than TomTom runner or Ambit. Will they use cached data technology?

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THIS. I understand these things are tools and I am not a "it has to look "Apple" cool kind of guy" but when a company in 2014 comes out with something that looks like this it says to me "we aren't even trying."

Perhaps grossly unfair but the moment I *saw* it and I knew I would never consider it.

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This could be the answer to my problem since my Motorola Motoactv succumbed to water damage after 3 years of reliable use. Why aren't more companies integrating the music feature to make all-in-one products? I don't want to carry/charge two devices.

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Would definitely consider it if it had a Pandora app. That is the one thing that has moved me away from a Garmin watch to my iPhone 5s with the iSmoothRun app. I also wear my Pebble when I run, which has a Pandora app that allows me to skip songs, switch stations, etc.

With a 3G connection, I guess it would be possible?

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The Timex unit is non-ANT+, which means the Garmin straps won't work. For the Polar strap it would depend on exactly which model. The Polar H6 and H7 straps would work, since they are Bluetooth Smart enabled.

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It sounds awesome except for the lack of ANT support, which is a deal breaker as it makes a whole mess of power meters non-compatible. For four hundred bucks, you should be able to transmit power data from a 2 year old power tap. At that price, its competitor is the garmin 910xt which does (almost) all of it. Also, when you're running, you don't generally need the SOS. It's when you're cycling and you get your second flat out in the boondocks or endo over a log and get knocked silly.

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Just as a heads up I've gone ahead and added all four new Timex products (Run x50, Run 20 GPS, Move x20, and One GPS+) into the product comparison tool/database last night, which can be found here:link to dcrainmaker.com

Further, Clever Training has opened pre-orders for all four products as well. The links which support the site can be found at the end of the post here:

Hi Ray, Do you think this watch can work (3G part of it) outside of the states? If it had a SIM card slot, that would make things much easier but I'm not sure how you approach a cellular company with such a product...

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It works outside the US just fine using the AT&T plan which roaming is included (one just needs a US address to provision the account). Beyond that, they'll be working with various other providers internationally to establish similar partnerships.

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So once the free one-year data plan runs out, can you still use this watch as a stand-alone device? Can you pair it with a phone and get alerts? It looks like pairing with a phone is only used to configure the device.

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AT&T makes clear that no matter how you purchase the Timex Ironman One GPS+, through AT&T or otherwise, the first hear of service is included for free. That’s data service - your first year is entirely free through AT&T’s data network, the only network this watch will work with for starters.
After that, you’ll be able to pay $40 per year with AT&T for data with this device. AT&T also mentions that you’ll be able to add this device to your Mobile Share account in the future - soon.

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Any idea if this will support spoken alerts through the bluetooth headset like the Adidas? When I'm in the "high on the pain" portion of a running race, I find it useful having spoken updates (yes, I know glancing at one's wrist is not hard work, but getting pace, time, distance, average pace etc all coming at you once per mile with no need to fiddle with buttons or wait for an auto scroll is a nice luxury, but has required an unwelcome phone or a watch that strains to get through a marathon).

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Although I never owned either, Ray and others indicate that the Motoactv and Adidas Smart Run suffered from short battery life. The 4 hour stated battery life is not encouraging. In my opinion, you wouldn't buy this if you didn't want music, gps, 3G, and bluetooth on at the same time. Battery life or the lack thereof is clearly going to be a serious issue for everyone considering buying this one. Can't wait for the review.

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It's been mentioned that the battery would not be likely to last an entire Ironman distance, so it would also seem to mean that it wouldn't last for an ultra marathon (maybe 50K, not anything farther) either? I know the Fenix2 and Bia has an "Ultra" setting that reduces the GPS data density to preserve battery life, but having the ability to send SMS messages and live track my off trail routes would great benefit my family and co-workers when I decide to change my plans mid-run and take a different route. Granted, the live tracking needs ATT or other cellular service, which happens to be sparse, to non-existent in most places I find myself running and climbing. Maybe someone could come up with satellite connectivity like the Spot to live track in a wrist mounted package?

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I understand that the watch doesn't receive notifications directly from your phone like a smartwatch, but does it receive SMS messages sent to your telephone number? Is there any way for it to receive emails sent to your primary email address? Or is the only messaging option to email to and from the separate, standalone email address? If it's the later, then its use is primarily for emergencies rather than general connectivity.

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I really like the vocal distance updates provided by my Nike iPod 7th gen. Since this watch has our ears via the mp3 player I really hope to hear that it has/will have this sort of feature implemented.

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Ray,
I hoping you have this in the queue by now. If this paired with the Jabra Sport Pulse headphones works reliably, I'd be in running heaven. Only two devices to charge, GPS, music, tracking, heart rate, auto upload to runkeeper, synced to strava and garmin by tapirik, awesomeness. I know I'll be let down but I can dream. Looking forward to reviews on these. Thanks.

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Ray,
I know the Motoactv battery was listed as 258 mah and the Adidas Smart Run is listed at 410 mah. Both seem to suffer from battery life issues. Obviously, although the ASR has a larger battery it is also using more with the built in heart rate sensor. Do you know the rating on the Timex? It would seem it would need 410 or more. Although it doesn't have the heart rate sensor, it does have the 3G. I am aware the the Motoactv could be used with wired headphones which require much less juice that a bluetooth connection. Both the ASR and the Timex would appear to suffer in this area as bluetooth headphones are the only option on them. Your thoughts?

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Ray,
What's the status on this thing. Not a single review anywhere on the interwebs. I noticed it first had a release date of Nov. 4, then Nov. 7, then Nov. 17 and still nothing. Still claims it is available for pre-order. Getting concerned this thing is DOA. Was hoping the was the first real integration of music and gps after the somewhat dissappointing Motoactv and Adidas Smart Run. Can you give any indication if you know anything Ray? Thanks.

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I really doubt that the primary users of this watch would consider the iWatch a viable alternative. The iWatch isn't a sports watch at all, and the main selling point of the Timex is that you don't have to take a phone with you.

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Jeff,
I understand your point but somewhat disagree. At a recent 5k event with a small crowd of only about 150 runners I saw 5 gps watches and about 75 smartphones in use by runners. If this is the trend the gps watch business is dismal at best. Right now, if you run with music and see stats on your wrist, there are three alternatives (1) a gps watch and ipod, (2) a smart phone and Magellan Echo or similar, or (3) the Adidas Smart Run. I think the Apple watch will most likely, among many other things, show stats like the Echo. Most people are unlikely to buy two $400 watches of any kind. Timex had a chance to beat Apple to the market and grab a foothold with some. Yes, some will buy this regardless. But others who buy into the Apple watch, and no doubt millions and millions will, will simply just make do with what they have versus buying another high priced watch.

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Jeff,
Said another way, if you don't believe Runkeeper, et al. will have an app for the Apple watch before it hits the market you are badly mistaken. Everyone in the gps watch biz better get ready for a serious hit once the Apple watch goes to market. Opportunity lost if those in the business don't get their products to market before Apple.

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I think you're missing my point. I'm not saying that the iwatch wont' be a far more widely adopted product, even among most people who are into fitness. I'm saying that the Timex is a product aimed at a particular group of people--serious or competitive runners--who simply will not carry something as bulky as a phone while training. People who use Runkeeper, i.e. casual fitness runners, aren't the target audience.

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What kind of races do you run? fun runs, untimed events? At most of my races the serious runner wear some GPS device. Honestly the most common seem to be the Garmin FR10/15. I see those more than amything I have no idea on Sales data.

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I run fairly competitively at all distances between 1500 meters and the marathon. I win money on occasion. I used to have a shoe contract. I can say that when I toe the line at a race (and my toe is always literally on the starting line, as it's rare for me to finish outside the top 10), hardly anyone around me has a gps watch.

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This watch may not be DOA, but it may be on life support. The Timex website has just changed the listed release to "Spring 2015". I wonder if someone at Timex realized the recently released Samsung Gear S does everything this one does (standalone GPS+Data with at least Nike+ support), along with a (poor) heart rate sensor, and most importantly, much much better ergonomics and screen, all for $50 less. One can quibble about waterproofing and higher monthly fees, but the two products look to be from different decades. Whatever the reason, if Timex is going to keep up with tech companies moving into the watch business they will have to up their game.

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Has anyone successfully ordered or received the Timex One GPS+ yet? I ordered it from Roadrunner Sports on 11/24, got their Confirmation and was just notified that they canceled the order because the item is no longer available.

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I don't understand why ironman would put it's logo on a watch that only tracks running. It's waterproof to 50meters, yet on their website timex says the GPS doesn't work underwater. Garmin doesn't seem to have a problem tracking swims using GPS, so what's the problem Timex? If this watch had a multisport mode I'd be all about it. But an ironman watch that only tracks running? That's like buying a pair of Trek running shoes...

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Hey, DCR! I bought my first GPS running watch three years ago, based on your reviews. It was the Timex Run Trainer (V.1) and I have loved it. Now, I am moving duathlons and possibly a tri or two, so I need a multi-sport watch. Problem is, I am so into the Training Peaks system that I don't want to give it up. Is Timex getting out of the multi-sport business? The only thing I can find reviewed by you is the Global Trainer, and that is over four years old! I don't like buying technology that is that dated. It doesn't look like any of these four are what I'm looking for, either. What are your thoughts?

As always, thanks for all you do. Your reviews are simply amazing and I can't believe you don't have a team of 20 clones of you doing all of this!

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Yeah, that's a good looking watch! I'm just not sure I'm at that point in my competitive life to drop $500 on it!!! I guess I better consider the "dated" tech, again. Wonder why Timex got out of the game? They have a nice product and history.

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It is indeed available. Not sure if I can post a link, but those of you curious about the details and features of the watch can find an extensive FAQ and links to the AT&T website, which contains videos and detailed use instructions. It does appear to have audible alerts and even a "find my watch" feature. It may be a $400 horse carriage in the automotive (smartwatch) age, but it does appear to be a turbocharged waterproof one.

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I've got the watch! Been really excited to get ahold of this as it solves my wife worrying about me while running and I don't have to carry a phone. Only fooled with it for an hour so far (no running yet). Interface seems pretty easy to navigate, the watch face isn't quite as bright as the advertising would have had you believe. A little disappointed that it only does tracking if you start a workout but that's a minor issue. It's a large watch, definitely not for daily wear, but it isn't huge.

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I am very excited about the new $40/year 3G global plan and what other innovating products that would bring (Garmin, Suunto etc.) in the future!

That said, the fine print on AT&T's site mentions "data usage limits of 10MB and 250 messages/month":link to att.com

Would that be enough data for someone who runs 60mpw+ and uploads data to Strava? I checked my .FIT data from my Garmin FR10 and I am generating around 120KB/week but the FR10 doesn't record HR, Running Dynamics, etc. and it only supports smart (not 1s) recording.

It would be interesting for you to check whether 10MB/month will be a serious limitation ...

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5 Easy Steps To The Site

You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.

It turns our I’ve written a fair bit of stuff over the past few years – and after it disappears from my front page, a lot of it never really sees the light of day again without Google’ing skillz. Or a photographic memory…which I don’t have. I’ve taken a look back and found stuff that…continues to find a trickle of readers via web searches or forum links.

I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.